Ron Hirschi, author/scientist, will visit the students of Eastview Elementary in Connersville, Indiana this April. He is sending students sea creature mysteries to examine. Students email questions to Ron as they solve the mystery of their identities. (Recent postings are here at the top. Go to the bottom or archives to see past mysteries!)

11 Comments:

What perfect timing, Lucy. Our class had a distance learning workshop with the Indianapolis Zoo today. This is rather like seeing the zoo animals and zoo keepers on a large television screen. But they can also see and hear us at the same time. We had even more fun today because a school in New York also joined the workshop! Our whole workshop was about Aussie animals. We think we know this marsupial, but will blog more to you tomorrow.Bye for now, in the USA

Sorry to be so long in answering your questions but we have had some difficulty with our computer connection at school.

I was not afraid to hold the cuddly wombat - but she was SO heavy! I was more worried about dropping her.

Her fur was so rough - and she was very sleepy because it was daytime and she is a nocturnal animal - so she kept falling asleep in my arms!

Her claws were so strong and sharp because she uses them to dig holes with. I don't think she would bite - but she has strong teeth! In the middle of her belly she has a small pouch to hold her baby in.

Lucy,We are now having our summer break at school. I am sure the kids will be glad to here from you. Many have Internet and will check the blog from home. We loved seeing your picture with the wombat. We only read about these animals in books. As we studied about Australian animals, we discovered many unique animals that do not live here in the Americas, It must be fun to have kangaroos, koalas, and wombats nearby!

Those fossils are keeping us searching and researching - so far the only one we think we have a name for is the crinoid stem - we found some similar to these while on camp at the Irvin River Coal Seam near Geralton in Western Australia. We will keep trying to solve the mystery for you!

There is one fossil that we wish we could send you called a stromatolite - these are found at many palces on the coast of Western Australia and are thought to be the oldest fossils on earth - unfortunately we are not allowed to remove them from their beach locations. Here are two web links about them.

http://www.sharkbay.org/terrestial_enviroment/page_15.htm

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s69379.htm

We do so love your blogging site Mrs Newton and have just told our friends at Exmouth to join in your mysteries as well - their school is located right near the famous Ningaloo Reef - hopefully they will start sending you some marine challenges as well!Look how beautiful it is up north where they live!

http://www.discoverwest.com.au/western_australia/ningaloo_reef.html

Happy holidays from the Upper Primary students at Riverlands School, Perth. Australia

Dear River Rats,I am glad you are enjoying the blog. Wow, I had never heard of stromatolites! I did look at the web sites you sent along. It is hard for me to imagine the beauty of where these are located. My fossils are along a small waterfall area along a gorge. I find the fossils in the rocky hillsides.I will go there next week and get a photo for you. Until then, go to http://www.waynet.org/facts/gorge_fossils.htm to find out more about our fossils.I do so hope that your friends in Exmouth also join us.